Looking for the good all around us
To the editor:
On the front page of Friday's Review Journal, amidst the stories of budget woes, shooting and death, there is a shining star providing a glimmer of hope. Thank you to columnist Ed Graney for his article on teen singer Ellie Smith ("Anthem bunglers, take note of Ellie Smith"). She exemplifies what is right in our world. Miss Smith is bright, articulate, focused and a true face of the future of our country.
I try to encourage my young children to be interested in the newspaper. Most of the news, however, is not good news. I would like to think that there are more Ellie Smiths in Las Vegas.
Would the Review-Journal and its readers entertain the thought of a week of nothing but positive and uplifting articles? Ellie Smith, the little league coach putting in extra hours without thought of personal gain, a school band program's preparation for festival, a family succeeding despite economic trials.
Perhaps I am still too much of a Pollyanna, but I like to see the good around us. Thank you to Ed Graney for reporting on just one of the shining stars.
Laura A. Friedlander
Las Vegas
Waste of money
To the editor:
As reported in the Thursday Review-Journal, Rep. Dean Heller proposed a $211 million cut in foreign aid. Later that day, the House voted it down, 190-241. That means that 51 Republicans voted for continuing to fund such things as: The World Bank International Development Fund, UNICEF, The African Development Fund, The Democracy Fund and the Strategic Climate Fund.
It is debatable that some of these may be worthwhile, but in our current budget crisis, paying for them is undoubtedly unwise.
What are these elected people thinking?
Do they think the voters have fallen asleep, as we have in past years?
We sent them there to be wise custodians of our money, not wild spenders.
We must keep all these things in mind when we vote in November 2012, and vote out the ones who say one thing and then do another.
Bill Wilderman
Las Vegas
No Reagan fan
To the editor:
Fantastic column by Alex Cockburn on Thursday about the many shortcomings of former President Ronald Reagan. I know the right-wing ideologues revere him as their messiah, but those in the gay community who lived through his reign will never forgive him for his insensitivity to so many AIDS sufferers. He was as blind as Stevie Wonder when it came to compassion and as incompetent a president as Richard Nixon and George W. Bush.
Your headline said it perfectly, labeling him a "callous phony." I agree wholeheartedly.
Tom Johnson
Las Vegas
